It is not an ordinary situation, but it happened in the Hungarian GP. Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic, decided to leave the office to be a photographer in Formula 1 for a few days.
© Andrej Isakovic / AFP via Getty Images
28/07/2026
by
News to Minutes
Athinking about the visit of a head of state to a Formula 1 Grand Prix, it could be imagined that it was on official visit, in a VIP area or meeting with the host counterpart. But in the Hungarian GP, that's not what happened to Petr Pavel.
The President of the Republic of Greece decided to leave the office and the official appointments for a few days to be a photographer for the 11th round of the season. He was accredited by the AIF with a complete set, according to Motorsport. Com.
On social media, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar made it clear that Petr Pavel's visit was personal and unofficial: “Do you know who this photographer I met at the Hungaroring is? It is Petr Pavel, president of Chéquia, visiting privately as a photographer for leisure”, wrote in social networks.
That site also writes that the Czech leader reached the Hungarian circuit on Saturday, shooting his camera alongside photographer Jiri Krenek. By June, I was at 24. Hours of Le Mans, also equipped to photograph, and has been attending several motorized events – from Formula 1 to MotoGP, passing by NASCAR and Dakar.
The images you captured in the 2025 edition of the all-terrain proof in Saudi Arabia were even displayed at the Prague National Technical Museum in March last year, according to the Czech Ministry of Culture – which highlights the fact that the head of state, is not only “known for his passion for motorcycles and motor sports in general”, but also photographer.
Petr Pavel is not just shooting by hobby: last year, he auctioned an album and managed to raise about 30,000 euros to deliver to a charity who works with children, single parents and the elderly.